On Trial
by Leprechaun's Fairy
Summary: It's been several years since Harry Potter defeated Voldemort but there is someone still attacking Muggleborns. When Draco Malfoy is charged with the crime it is up to Hermione to save him from a lifetime in Azkaban even though it means she has to reveal a long kept secret.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Welcome to my second fanfiction and my first one featuring Hermione/Draco! I know many people don't like this pairing but in my mind I've come up with a way to make it work so you'll just have to read my stories to find out how! **

**P.S. - This story is set a few years after Harry defeated Voldemort and the first chapter helps to set my scene, I'll get more into the meat of it next week. Most things stayed canon but I did have to save Fred.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series.**

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"The Burrow!" Hermione called out as she stepped into the green flames of one of the Ministry's many fireplaces. Normally they didn't all get together at the Weasely family home until Sunday evenings for dinner but Molly had switched it up, claiming that everyone should be together on the second anniversary of Voldemort's defeat.

When Hermione arrived at the Burrow she nearly ran into Ginny who was racing across the room, her arms so full of plates that Hermione could barely see the girl's head over the top of them.

"Whoa! What's going on?" Hermione called out as she rushed to help Ginny make it out the door without dropping the breakables. "Couldn't you have used your wand? Or at least have carried fewer plates at one time?"

Ginny managed to safely set all the plates on the end of one of the two long tables in the backyard. "My wand's been missing since this morning and since Fred and George stayed over last night I have a feeling they have something to do with it."

Hermione pulled off her work blazer and sent it back to her flat with a flick of her wand before helping Ginny set the table. "That answers the wand question but not why you felt the need to carry nearly twenty plates at once."

"I just want mum to be in a good mood tonight, that's all."

"Why do you ˗" Hermione froze, a plate halfway to its spot on the table. "Ginevra Weasley! Are you insinuating that you still haven't told your mum that Harry proposed?" she hissed.

"You act like it's been ages and it hasn't even been a week yet! I just thought it would be nice to wait until tonight," Ginny whispered back.

Hermione shook her head but didn't respond since more Weasleys and family friends suddenly started arriving on the lawn. The yard would be full by the time dinner started since Mrs. Weasley had invited all her children and their significant others as well as Luna, Neville, Andromeda and Ted Tonks and little Teddy Lupin.

She finished up with the table and looked out over the crowd, surprised she hadn't been accosted by Harry or Ron yet. But they were nowhere to be seen and she was quickly distracted by all the bustling activity. Molly was floating food onto the tables, Ginny had run off to try and get her wand back from the twins, and Bill and a very pregnant Fleur were fielding questions from the very curious, and very blue haired, Teddy.

"Hey Hermione!" Neville called out, knocking the girl from her musings.

Hermione turned around and found Neville and Luna standing behind her. "Hey guys, glad you could make it!" Ever since the war Luna and Neville had both had open invitations to the Weasley family dinners but rarely showed up since Neville was busy training under Pomona Sprout so he could one day take over the Herbology job and Luna was often traveling the world to look for unusual creatures.

"I wouldn't miss this celebration for anything!" Neville declared. "I'm just glad we could do something all cozy like this. Last year was awful."

Hermione couldn't help but nod in agreement. On the first anniversary of Voldemort's demise they had all been forced to attend a high profile celebratory ball at the Ministry. As the guests of honor for their roles in the Dark Lord's defeat Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville had been hounded all night. While Harry had been used to the attention and Ron reveled in it that was not the case for Hermione and Neville who had escaped to an outside patio as often as they could manage.

Hermione was about to respond when a deafening explosion from the other end of the yard captured everyone's attention.

When her hearing started to return she could just barely hear Molly Weasley's shrieks. "˗ not deafen them! I honestly don't know what to do with the two of you!"

"I wish there had been pyrotechnics," Luna mused as she watched Mrs. Weasley aim a serving dish at one of the twins.

Hermione and Neville couldn't help but turn to stare at their blonde friend. "What are you talking about?" Neville finally asked.

"The explosion certainly caught my attention but I wish there would have been fireworks or something colorful instead of just a loud noise. Maybe Mrs. Weasley wouldn't be chasing them around the yard if there had been color."

Mrs. Weasley called out before Hermione or Neville could respond to Luna's odd comment. "Hello everyone! Arthur just contacted me through the Floo before I brought out the food. He, Harry, and Ron will be home soon. There's a bit of a hang-up at the Ministry but the boys said we should start without them so take your seats!"

Ginny rushed up to take a seat next to Hermione. "Damn it! Harry and I were going to make our announcement before dinner," she hissed. "Do you have any idea what's happening?"

"Not at all," Hermione muttered back. "But I also went in early so I left early too. Something must have happened right after I left."

Ginny couldn't stop the concerned look that crossed her face and Hermione knew exactly why it was there. Since Kingsley Shacklebolt, who still acted as Minister of Magic, had accelerated the Auror program from three to two years Harry and Ron had just recently graduated and were full time Aurors with their own missions. The major mission of all the Aurors was to capture the few Death Eaters who were still at large.

"I'm sure everything's okay." Hermione tried to quell the hope that had suddenly blossomed, afraid that Ginny would take it the wrong way. _Maybe they've finally caught the last of them. Maybe it will be safe to tell everyone about us!_ she couldn't help but think.

Luna looked at them from across the table. "I wouldn't be too worried. Harry did defeat Voldemort after all," she stated loudly, and matter of factly, as she added boiled potatoes to her plate.

Everyone at the table froze. Although the taboo on Voldemort's name had been lifted few people actually ever spoke it out loud.

"She has a point," Fred called out and suddenly everything went back to normal.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I understand that I do not own these characters. But sometimes I like pretend I do. Is that okay? I hope it's okay.**

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They were halfway through the dinner celebrating Voldemort's defeat when Harry, Ron, and Mr. Weasley finally joined the gathering. The two Aurors looked mussed but not injured while Mr. Weasley just looked weary.

Everyone fell silent as Arthur stepped forward to hug his wife. "Well what took you so long?" she asked.

Arthur cleared his throat. "I was just about to Floo out of the Ministry when the boys here Flooed in and it turned into a madhouse."

Hermione leaned back in her seat so she could see Harry and Ron's faces. Her heart started to race when she saw the look of victory in their expressions. _They must have found the Death Eater who has been causing so many problems! If so then I can finally spill this secret I've been keeping for far too long_ she thought. As a Ministry official she knew oh too much about the weekly attacks on the Muggleborns, Half-Bloods and Squibs.

"We were about to leave work when we learned that Dennis Creevey was the victim of the latest attack. When we arrived at the scene we discovered a witness," Harry explained as he and Ron found seats.

"There's never been a witness before!" Bill said, surprise tingeing his voice. The attacks had been happening weekly for several months and there had never been any clue as to the attacker.

"That surprised us too," Ron admitted. "But the witness showed us her memories of the incident and we could see his face as clear as day. And honestly I don't know why we didn't question him before. Slippery little ferret."

Hermione's stomach lurched. "No!" she squeaked out.

"Are you saying Draco Malfoy was the attacker?" Neville frowned. "I thought he was trying to change. I ran into him last time I was at the Ministry and he wasn't exactly friendly but he was civil."

"Obviously he's been acting this whole time," Ron said as he heaped a second helping onto his plate. "I don't know why Kingsley agreed to let him work at the Ministry. You should have seen the look on his face when we arrested him!" he gleefully added before digging into the rice pudding.

Hermione tried to act casual but she was afraid she failed. "So he's already been arrested?"

"The evidence was pretty damning and a quick poll of his office mates told us that he never eats lunch with any of them on Fridays when the attacks take place and he was unwilling to give us an alibi. It'll be up to the Wizengamot but I don't think Malfoy has a chance," Harry said as he eyed the treacle tart Mrs. Weasley was floating down the table towards them.

Hermione bit her lip as her thoughts raced. If even Harry suspected Draco then it was bad. Harry had grown up since the war. He was still suspicious of people he knew had been associated with the Death Eaters but he had stopped jumping to conclusions so quickly.

But Hermione knew the accusations were wrong and knew she'd have to prove it. So she waited until they shared the date and time of Draco's court appearance and then she made a hasty retreat.

_A week. I have a week to collect my thoughts. Literally. _Hermione thought as she Flooed back to her flat.

Hermione fidgeted in her seat as she waited for the trial to start. After the battle against Voldemort the rules of the Wizengamot were changed so that more people could hear the case against the one who stood accused.

Though Hermione, Luna, Neville, Ginny, Bill, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were not part of the court they, along with a few dozen other witches and wizards of varying backgrounds, were invited to hear the evidence against Draco Malfoy. Kingsley hoped that having a larger body of listeners would lead to a more thoughtful and appropriate verdict. The listeners had no official vote but could ask questions that would help determine guilt or innocence.

Hermione was glad that her position in the Under Jury allowed her to be present at the trial but she was also nervous about having to share her deepest darkest secret with a hundred other people. She would've been glad to speak up earlier in the week but the wizarding world had certain rules she had to follow, one of those which stated evidence coming from anyone but the accused could only be presented at the trial. If Draco had offered her up as his alibi then she would have been allowed to tell the Minister her side of the story before the trial.

Her heart started to pound as the members of the Wizengamot filed in and took their seats. Harry and Ron were invited in as the lead Aurors on the case and Hermione gasped when they brought in their witness, Pansy Parkinson, who wore a trite but oddly smug expression on her face. Then they brought in Draco.

He looked nothing like the Draco Malfoy she had come to know. His usually spiky blonde hair was plastered to his head on one side, sticking up on the other. Wizards didn't believe in bail so Draco had been in a cell for a week. It looked as though his warden didn't care whether or not his prisoner had gotten access to a comb.

But his hair wasn't the worst part Hermione realized as she frantically looked him over. Even from a few dozen feet away Hermione could see the dark circles under the man's eyes. And her heart broke when she saw the despondent look on his face.

_He knows I'm the only one who can get him out of this and he's afraid I won't_ Hermione suddenly realized as she watched the chains on the chair secure Draco's arms and legs. Harry, Ron, and Pansy were seated at a long table to Draco's right.

She waited as Pansy presented her evidence, her memories of Dennis's attack projected above the court room floor as though it were a Muggle movie. Then Hermione held her breath as Draco was asked to defend himself. _I know we agreed to keep it a secret but please tell them. You must know I'd rather have everyone know than to have you sent to Azkaban!_

"I have nothing to say except that I'm innocent." His response was loud and clear.

Hermione could hear Ron's snort of derision from where she sat and it made her boil over in anger. _I can't believe I ever thought I could have a romantic relationship with him s_he thought as Kingsley reminded Ron that he must remain impartial. They were there to hear the facts, not personal opinions.

"And there's no one who could verify your whereabouts on the day of Creevey's attack? Or any of the attacks for that matter? The Floo sensors tell us that you have in fact left the Ministry for lunch every Friday but no one knows where you go. I'm sure you realize how suspicious that looks considering since every attack has taken place on Friday during the hour of your lunch break."

"I realize this sounds suspicious but I'd rather not tell you where I was last Friday or any of the Fridays. I agreed to keep something secret and I won't break that vow. I'm sorry sir." Draco sat up as straight as the chair allowed, gazing at the Minister in a way that suggested he wouldn't budge.

Kingsley sighed. "If you're not willing to defend yourself then I'm afraid I have no choice but to declare you guilty for the ˗"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I fully intended on getting this out yesterday but I didn't even turn on my computer because I was reading. Oops! I finally remembered in the haze of a nap I took because, at 25 years of age, I had to have my first cavity filled! Ugh...it made me really sleepy for some odd reason. **

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter and friends do not belong to me. Draco's personality in this story does though ;)**

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"No!"Hermione shot to her feet. She had nearly lost her chance, not realizing Kingsley wouldn't be asking for any other witnesses.

Kingsley froze, his wand poised to beat down on the table like a gavel. "You have something you would like to add Ms. Granger?"

Hermione frantically nodded her head, breathing a sigh of relief when the Minister sent an Auror to escort her to the court room floor.

She could feel everyone staring at her but she didn't care. The only thing, the only person, she was worried about was the disheveled blonde who was staring at her with hope, awe, and perhaps a little panic in his eyes.

The Auror conjured her a chair and sat it at the halfway point between Draco and his accuser, who still sat flanked by Harry and Ron. Hermione couldn't help but note the irony of being placed between Draco and her two best friends. She felt like she'd been caught between the three of them for ages.

Kingsley rifled through the paperwork before meeting her eyes and Hermione wondered if the man was stalling for time. _He couldn't have been expecting this. At least not from me._

"Please explain the reason for your outburst Ms. Granger. I'm assuming it had something to do with the verdict I was about to issue on this case."

Hermione took a deep breath to steel herself. "Yes Minister. I just wanted you to know that Draco Malfoy is innocent." She refused to look out at the crowd but could sense their shock at her words.

"And how exactly do you know this Ms. Granger?"

_He already knows!_ she suddenly realized as the Minister's eyes twinkled in a way that was oddly similar to Dumbledore's knowing gaze. _But how could he? No one knows except Draco's parents and they've been in France every since they were cleared after Voldemort's fall._

"Ms. Granger if you can't give credence to your claims then I'll have to ask you to take your seat so I can continue with my verdict. It won't change if there's no evidence that it should."

"No, you can't convict Draco." Hermione knew she might lose friends with her next words but she also knew she had to risk it. She wasn't about to let an innocent man go to Azkaban. "I know Draco didn't attack Dennis Creevey because he spent last Friday's lunch hour with me. In fact we've spent every Friday lunch hour together since we started working at the Ministry."

The reaction Hermione's statement got wasn't the one she had expected. She was prepared to hear gasps of shock and outrage but instead the court room became deathly silent.

She refused to look anywhere but directly at the Minister. She was afraid she'd break down if she saw the emotion in Draco's eyes or the disapproving and disbelieving stares she figured would be on Harry and Ron's faces.

She knew the safety measures the Ministry had put in place would add credence to Draco's innocence. Only Aurors could arrive or leave the building when they were disguised as someone else so if Hermione left work with Draco Malfoy, who worked in the Department of Magical Games and Sports, then it was one hundred percent certain that she had left with the real Draco and not an imposter.

But that would bring up the question of why she'd been eating lunch with Draco and would bring to light a secret she'd been keeping for years.

Kingsley cleared his throat. "Although I'm sure most everyone in this room knows you to be honest I'm afraid we'll need more than just verbal evidence Ms. Granger. Would you be willing to allow us access to your memories of last Friday's lunch hour?"

Hermione tried to control the blush that she could feel creeping up her chest. _You knew they were going to ask this of you and you can't back out now._ "Yes you may see those memories."

Kingsley sent one of his Aurors over to her with the basin that would project her memories for everyone to see. As she started to copy and extract them she heard Draco holler.

"Herm˗. Granger! You don't have to do this!"

She turned her head to the side and met his glance as she pulled the memories out. She knew why he didn't want her to but that wasn't about to stop her. "I have to. I can't let them imprison you for a crime you didn't commit."

When Hermione had placed her last memory the Auror brought the basin to the Minister. "Now we shall see."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I keep wondering and I can't seem to remember in regards to my favorite fanfiction pieces. Do you like it better when the author reposts a little bit of the last chapter at the beginning so you remember what happened last or is it okay to treat it like a novel and just keep going? Let me know and based on the majority I'll change it if necessary! **

**P.S.- Italics denote the memories which is most of what this chapter is. And it gets a little steamy. Mouths wander and some clothes fall off but it's not an actual sex scene. I think I might do a companion piece later on if I can figure out if I can actually convey a steamy sex scene!**

**Disclaimer: Even after weeks of working with them I still don't own these characters!**

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Kingsley tapped the bowl with his wand and the images were magnified for everyone to see.

_Hermione stretched, glaring at her wall clock when she read the time. "Thirty minutes until lunch? Why are Fridays so slow?" she muttered as she flipped through some loose paperwork on her desk._

_She tried to hide her smile when the purple Interdepartmental Memo landed on her desk but she had a feeling that she'd failed. Fortunately her coworkers in the department were too engrossed in their own work to notice._

_She unfolded the paper and her mouth dropped open. Hermione had expected a dinner invitation, not a command._

"_You've got to be kidding me," Hermione snarled as she hurled herself out of her chair and rushed to the lifts._

_It seemed like it took forever to get from level four where she worked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to level seven, the Department of Magical Games and Sports. By the time the lift stopped on the desired floor she was seething._

_When she stepped off the lift he was standing there, waiting on her, a wide smirk on his face._

"_I know we've worked together on projects before Malfoy," she spat his family name as though it were a curse. "But that doesn't give you the right to summon me down here like you own the place."_

"_I only asked you here so I could gloat," Draco admitted. He knew the rest of the department would be staring at them, relishing the public spectacle they made. They had moved past snarky name calling in public after being forced to share a dormitory during their stint as Head Boy and Girl when they had returned to Hogwarts for their seventh year but nothing could quell their competitive natures._

_Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and quirked an eyebrow. "And what exactly were you planning on gloating about today? The fact that your Muggle clothes are more high end than mine?" she indicated his clearly expensive suit with a wave of her hand._

_Draco smirked even wider. He had been taught that working Muggles often wore business clothes on Mondays through Thursdays. Along that same idea the Minister had implemented Muggle Fridays and all employees had to wear Muggle business wear or face being written up. Draco had agreed with no complaints, knowing he looked good in a suit and tie._

"_I don't really need to gloat about that since you already noticed," he pointed out as he adjusted his tie._

_Hermione glared but didn't interject. She hated when her emotions took over and she couldn't help but yell at him. It garnered too much attention from their coworkers and had led to reprimands from Kingsley on more than one occasion._

"_I just wanted to let you know that I've been made Co-Head of the department and I was given my own private office," Draco said as he casually inspected his fingernails. "And if I remember correctly you're still one of five underlings sharing cubicle space?"_

_Draco spun around and looked at his coworkers like he just realized they were staring. "Maybe we should move this discussion into my new office before we cause a scene." He gestured to his office door and Hermione begrudgingly stepped inside._

_All Ministry offices were magically soundproofed and had windows facing out but not in so that offices could conduct private sessions if necessary. Their coworkers wouldn't be able to report their behavior if they couldn't be seen._

_Hermione's tirade started before Draco had the door halfway shut. "I can't believe they would make you Co-Head already! Kingsley had a hell of a time convincing everyone he wanted to hire you in the first place!"_

_Draco slid up behind her and ghosted his lips along the side of her neck. "Are you done yelling at me or are we going to have to wait until next week to take advantage of my private office?"_

_Hermione pushed herself away from him and sat on the edge of his desk, the skirt of her suit riding dangerously high on her thighs. "We only have a few more minutes until we'll be leaving for our lunch break anyways. I don't really think that gives us much time to take advantage of anything."_

_Draco stepped forward so that he stood in between her knees, his left hand on the desk beside her. She watched as the other hand started tracing nonsense words onto her knee._

"_Hmm, maybe not. But you can at least let me get you started." His left hand slowly slid up her side and under her blazer and camisole so he could feel her smooth skin._

_Hermione stared up at him from under her lashes. "You never did tell me how you managed to get this promotion." She clutched his shoulders when his fingers got tantalizingly close to the edge of her panties._

"_I don't know. I guess I had a good reason to work my arse off. I wanted to beat you." He tried to capture Hermione's lips in his own but she turned her head and swung her legs off the desk, breaking all contact between them._

"_You may be winning now," she said as she wandered around to see what personal touches Draco had added to the office. "But McGonagall gave me access to Dumbledore's notes so I'll be publishing a new updated version of The Tales of Beedle the Bard very soon."_

"_Yeah but will that be as useful as a private office?" Draco's voice was deep and husky._

_Hermione allowed herself a small smirk. "Maybe next week we can try out its usefulness but now we should probably be leaving for lunch. Meet me at my place?"_

"_Of course."_

_Hermione straightened her clothes and then threw open the door. "Honestly I don't know how an insufferable git like you ever got a job, let alone an office!" she shouted before turning to head back to the lifts._

_The lines for the Floo were so long that Hermione was still waiting to leave when Draco arrived in the Atrium. He pushed his way to the front of the line next to Hermione and winked at her when they both reached for the green powder at the same time._

_Their moves were so synchronized that they fell out of Hermione's fireplace at the same time._

_They had barely regained their balance when Hermione pulled Draco into a kiss, their tongues battling for dominance. With one swift motion she pulled his tie off and shoved him onto her couch._

"_Did you block the Floo?" Draco watched with hooded eyes as Hermione kicked off her heels and stripped off her blazer._

"_Of course. No one is getting in this apartment unless I say so and for now it's just you and me."_

_Hermione sashayed towards Draco and straddled his lap, running her lips up and down his neck. "Next week I'm going to make sure we get a chance to enjoy your private office," she breathed in his ear._

_Draco gripped Hermione's hips with his hands, pulling her against him. "Why couldn't we have taken advantage of it today?"_

_Hermione slowly unbuttoned Draco's shirt, kissing skin when it was exposed. "We only would have had a few minutes before we had to sign out for lunch. I wanted to take my time with you."_

_Draco groaned as Hermione slid down onto her knees in front of him, her lips trailing down his stomach until she hovered above the waistband of his pants. "I won't complain about that."_

_Hermione reached up to unzip his pants when Draco's hands suddenly shot out to grasp her forearms. "Wait." He pulled her back up onto the couch beside him. "Before you distract me too much there's something I have to tell you."_

_Hermione's eyebrows shot into the air. "Right now? I really don't think __"_

"_Dad thinks he's getting close to finding out who has been attacking the Muggleborns," Draco cut in._

"_Really? That's great news!" Hermione's eyes lit up as she realized the implications._

"_Once that person is caught then…" she trailed off as she saw the hungry way Draco was looking at her. "Did you want me to heat up something to eat before we have to go back to work?" she teased._

_Draco's pale eyes went dark as he pushed himself off the couch. "Oh I plan on eating something." He slipped his hands under her bum and pulled her up, coaxing her legs around his waist. He walked her towards the bedroom and plopped her down onto the bed._

"_I caught a peek at the clock as you carried me in here. Whatever can we do with the thirty minutes we have left before we have to get back to work?" Hermione asked as Draco slid his hands under her shirt._

"_I can probably come up with a few things," he said as he pulled her shirt off and tossed it on the floor._

_Draco knelt down on the floor and pulled Hermione to the edge of the bed. His fingers danced a trail up her thighs, disappearing under her skirt._

"_We need to do this more often," Hermione gasped as Draco peppered kisses up her thighs._

_Draco pulled his mouth away and smirked. "Great minds think alike," he said as he slithered up her body and cupped a bra clad breast in the palm of his hand. "Next weekend you and me at the chateau in France. All weekend, just the two of us."_

_Hermione groaned as Draco replaced one of his hands with his mouth, his wet tongue pressing the lace of her bra against her nipple. "Are your parents going to interrupt us like they did last time?"_

_Draco chuckled and pulled his mouth away. "If they do I'll hex them so bad." He reached one hand behind her to unclasp her bra and the material started to fall free from her heaving breasts._


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: One more chapter to go after this and then I'll have what I'd like to call a prequel/sequel called Past, Present, Future. It starts the day after Draco's trial and will involve him and Hermione sitting around to tell her friends how the relationship started. I'm just separating the stories because it can be stand alone or can be read before or after this ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just their parts in this story!**

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Hermione's eyes shot to the floor when the memory reached the point where her breasts were about to be revealed. But then the memory suddenly stopped playing and she breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't ashamed, not really, but it was uncomfortable to know that her best friends as well as some complete strangers had found out about her secret relationship by watching such an intimate moment.

Kingsley cleared his throat and Hermione forced herself to look up. "Am I right to assume that activity lasted until it was time to return to work?"

"Yes Minister. If you look at the Floo records you'll find that we barely made it back to work on time." Hermione forced her voice not to shake.

"Is this what you remember of last Friday Mr. Malfoy?"

"Yes it is Minister."

Hermione's eyes shot over to the blonde, surprised to hear the unsteadiness in his voice.

"And if we were to inspect your memories of the other Friday's in question would we find something of a similar nature?"

"Yes Minister," Draco and Hermione chimed.

Kingsley rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. "Why couldn't you have just told us about this earlier Mr. Malfoy? It would have saved us all a bit of trouble." He picked up his wand and waved it, freeing Draco from his shackles.

"I'm sorry Minister but Hermione and I had agreed to keep this relationship a secret, at least until the last of the Death Eaters were apprehended. I knew they'd make her life a living hell if they knew a Muggleborn witch was in a relationship with a Malfoy. I wasn't about to out her without her consent."

"What the hell Drakey?" Pansy shot up from her spot in between Harry and Ron. Harry reached up and grabbed her arm so she didn't rush at the blonde. Ron barely flinched, staring into space with a look on his face which suggested he felt sick to his stomach.

"I always thought we'd end up together!" Pansy cried out.

Draco rubbed his wrists but didn't move from the chair since he hadn't been told he could go. "I never gave you any indication of that Pansy. I was friendly with you because my father expected it of me and I also knew you'd complain to your father if I wasn't."

"But you even took me to the Yule Ball our fourth year!" Pansy wailed.

"I didn't really have a lot of options. I pretty much just talked to Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise while we were in school. I wasn't about to invite one of them."

Pansy pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. "But at least you talked to me and treated me somewhat decently so there shouldn't be any reason you'd end up with Granger instead of me. Or is this just about the sex?"

Hermione put her head in her hands. She knew her and Draco's friends would want to know the truth of their relationship but she wasn't expecting to explain it to everyone in the room. "Of course it's not just sex," she groaned.

"Then what is it? How did you end up so wrapped up in each other in just a year?" Pansy uncrossed her arms and shoved Harry's hand off of her so she could pace the courtroom floor.

Hermione suddenly felt brave enough to look around her. Instead of seeing disgust like she expected she mostly saw an odd mixture of surprise, confusion, and curiosity. Kingsley looked smug, Harry quizzical, and Ron a little angry but no facial expressions suggested anyone wanted to Apparate her to a back alley and hex her.

Draco snorted and made himself more comfortable in the chair. "I first really noticed Hermione after she slapped me in third year but any kind of a relationship was just a fantasy until I chatted her up after the Yule Ball in fourth year."

"This has been going on since fourth year and we never knew about it?" Ron's voice was a strangled yell.

Hermione turned to face her two best friends and tried to control the shame that had been bubbling up all day. It wasn't that she was ashamed of Draco, she was ashamed of herself. "I'm sorry we hid this from you for so long but we had our reasons."

"There's no excuse for this! Not only did you lie to us for years but you let that scumbag put his hands all over you?" Ron suddenly exploded.

Harry put a calming hand on Ron's shoulder just as Hermione flew out of her chair. "Oh please. You have no right to judge me for who I sleep with when you go through half a dozen new witches every month."

Harry snorted and Ron's face burned bright red. After the final battle Ron had become something of a war hero and surprisingly enough he was pretty modest about it. But he did use his status to get into the knickers of pretty witches, a fact which he desperately tried to keep hidden from his mother.

"Hermione's a smart witch. I don't like this anymore than you do but she has to have reasons for the relationship and the lying," Harry looked at her expectantly.

She looked over her shoulder and saw Draco trying to act nonchalant in the stone and metal chair though she knew he had to be incredibly uncomfortable. "Maybe we can discuss all that at my place instead of here in front of everyone?"

Harry and Ron nodded their consent so Hermione turned back to the Minister. "With all the security measures in place both here and at my flat I think it's safe to assume that the real Draco Malfoy did not attack Dennis Creevey. The only thing Draco is guilty of is being involved with me."

"And we only kept our relationship a secret in order to protect her," Draco added. "She didn't need another reason for the Death Eaters to target her."

Kingsley nodded his head. "After hearing and seeing the evidence I can only assume that the person who truly attacked Mr. Creevey was under the effects of Polyjuice Potion or a similar potion or charm. The court must release Draco Malfoy. And I promise you that we will find the true culprit behind these heinous crimes. Everyone is dismissed and you are free to go Mr. Malfoy."


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: I can't believe it (and you probably won't either) but this is the last chapter! I know it seems a little sudden but I like the idea of keeping the back story separate from the reveal. You'll get to see how the relationship started in the prequel/sequel I'm titling "Past, Present, Future." I'm already working on writing it and so far it has turned into a fanfiction story of epic proportions and I'm not even half done! (Yes I typically try to finish the whole thing before I start posting...I'm always afraid I'll lose track of the story and not be able to make it cohesive.) I'm hoping I can have it up by the first Wednesday in November!**

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As soon as they were dismissed Pansy shot out the door, tears dripping down her cheeks.

Hermione and Draco met in the middle of the courtroom and he pulled her into a tight embrace. But then Hermione pulled away and smacked Draco in the shoulder. "You're so stupid Malfoy! Why didn't you just tell them you were with me on the day of the attack?"

Draco sneered. "Because then you'd be smacking me for breaking my promise to keep this a secret."

"You should have known I'd rather have our relationship out in the open than have you go to Azkaban!" Hermione pulled the blonde into a searing kiss, not even worried about the fact that members of the Ministry were probably watching them.

"Urgh. I don't think I will ever get used to that," Ron complained as he watched Draco Malfoy slide his arms around Hermione's waist.

Harry sighed. "It's definitely a strange sight but I'm curious to know how they got from how they acted in Hogwarts to here. I mean I know they were Head Boy and Girl when we weren't there in Seventh Year but still. How do you go from name calling and slapping to snogging in front of the Ministry?"

"Finally," Ron muttered when Hermione and Draco's lips separated. "Oy! Are you two done yet?"

Hermione turned around and shot Ron a glare that quickly dissolved into a wide smile. Then she dragged Draco over towards Harry and Ron. "I could hear you, you know. You're not exactly quiet."

Ginny, Neville, and Luna suddenly popped up beside them. "I really can't believe you kept this from me for so long! I don't know if I should be proud or angry," Ginny squealed.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I know we'll have to talk about this but can we do it somewhere else? Everyone here already learned way too much about my personal life already."

"Except now we're the only ones around to hear about it," Neville pointed out.

Hermione looked around and realized Neville was right. Everyone else was gone. "Hmm. How did I not notice that?"

"Maybe you were distracted because you had someone else's tongue down your throat?" Ron suggested.

Ginny swiftly smacked her brother upside the head. "Oh shut it you." Then she turned to face Hermione and Draco. "So when are you going to tell us how all this happened? I know I can't wait to hear all the juicy details!"

Hermione and Draco shared a look. "I'd really like a nice hot shower and a worry free night of sleep on a soft mattress instead of a cot if you don't mind. Maybe we can all meet at Hermione's flat for dinner tomorrow night?" Draco suggested.

Ron frowned, Ginny and Luna looked excited and Harry and Neville just looked a little bemused.

"Tomorrow it is," Harry agreed.

Hermione and Draco turned to leave. "Well that didn't turn out too badly, did it?" Draco said as he placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her towards the doors.

"You two better be clothed when we get there tomorrow!" Ron called out. "After today I've already been scarred for life but I don't want it to get any worse. Hey, are you two even listening to me?"

Hermione sighed but didn't stop or look back. "How long do you think we'll get teased about that?"

"I don't know," Draco chuckled. "What's the life expectancy of your average witch or wizard?"

Hermione groaned as they stepped into the lift. "Let's not worry about that," she decided. "Let's just get you cleaned up and well rested so we can face the inquisition tomorrow. Together."

A wide smile stole across Draco's features and he pulled Hermione into his arms. "Together. I like the sound of that."


End file.
